Prisoners of Geography

Travelling provides an excellent opportunity to catch up on some reading. Tim Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography provided absorbing material for my recent Eurostar trip to Brussels.

Brexit seemed to be on the minds and tongues of everyone I met in Brussels – from the European Parliament to the EU Studies Fair, as well as on all newsstands and points in between. Questions and what ifs abounded. It was interesting to hear and read views on our island nation from outside our borders.

Britain has been blessed by its geography unlike many countries described in Tim Marshall’s book. It has been our fortune to be

“close enough to the European Continent to trade

and yet protected by dint of being an island race” (p91).

Our geography has shaped our independent spirit. We are also seen as being

“at one remove from living with the historical collective memory

of frequent invasions and border change” (p91).

Thanks to our geography we have grown accustomed to punching above our size and weight globally. As the sole Brit, I was outnumbered by youthful representatives from the other 27 member states on the European Parliament tour. There were also young visitors from candidate countries.

I couldn’t help wondering how Britain’s future generations would feel about being outside the “club” whatever its faults. The Union Jack seemed to be on the way out already. Then, I realised that its position at the end of the line was probably due to the diplomatic use of alphabetical order.

Our excellent Latvian guide was very open in discussing both the good and bad aspects of the European Parliament. He mentioned the financial wastefulness of the Strasbourg Parliament. (It is still maintained due to the ongoing vetoes of France and Luxembourg). He shared the difficulties of progressing any legislation without Germany’s support. He mentioned the frustrations of smaller nations and parties in getting their voices truly heard.

Human rights were seen as a strong area for the EU. For example, the EU can criticise China’s human rights’ record and invite the Dalai Lama to speak to the Parliament without fear of trade reprisals. The 2015 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought went to the Saudi Arabian blogger, Raif Badawi. Europe enjoys peace and freedom of expression under the EU’s watchful eye.

Prisoners of Geography is particularly strong in explaining how geography shapes Russia and China. It invites the reader to picture Putin ruing the absence of mountains and watching as the EU encroaches ever closer through the former Soviet bloc. Ukraine was “the red line”. As Tim Marshall concludes:

“It doesn’t matter if the ideology of those in control is tsarist,

Communist or crony capitalist – the ports still freeze,

and the North European Plain is still flat” (p25).

The world’s flashpoints are all enlightened with reference to their geography. The Arctic features at the end of the book. The melting ice cap is changing geography. Climate change is creating new tensions. 80% of Bangladesh is on a flood plain and it cannot relocate. The Maldives will disappear.

In conclusion, the author casts our eyes upwards away from the land. He refers to spy satellites and international cooperation in space. He speculates whether we will learn to meet the challenges ahead as “representatives of humanity” rather than as of a particular nationality. The road ahead seems to require even greater cooperation, rather than a self-interested retreat within our own borders.

Tim Marshall ends on a pessimistic note:

“... we are still imprisoned in our own minds,

confined by our suspicion of the ‘other’,

and thus our primal competition for resources.

There is a long way to go. (p240).”

I hope history will prove that he should have been more optimistic. It is an eye-opener to discover how much world tension is based on geography rather than our neighbours’ actual actions.

Book review details:

Tim Marshall: Prisoners of Geography. Ten maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics. Published by Elliott & Thompson, 2015.

Your Right to Know

At the Guardian's Masterclass on Investigative Journalism, Helen Darbishire of Access Info gave a fascinating talk on our right of access to information. Her presentation was entitled Your Right to Know: Legal Leaks. This is a topical subject in Britain. 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. There is also much discussion about a British bill of rights.

Following a brief history, Helen explained that Freedom of Expression includes the Right of Access to Information (UN Human Rights Committee, Article 19, 27 July 2011). Such information includes records held by a public body, regardless of the form in which the information is stored, its source and date of publication (e.g. even an official's handwritten notes). 

There are two obligations:

i) Reactive - obligation to respond to FOI requests

ii) Proactive - obligation to publish information.

Helen gave the audience ten top tips to follow in pursuing FOI requests

·      TIP 1

            It might be public already!

·      TIP 2

            Set prejudice aside

            (Don't assume that you will never get the desired information).

·      TIP 3

            Know your right/law

·      TIP 4

            Keep a record of your requests. Set an alarm.

            European FOI time frames vary

            Best in class: Estonia, Iceland & Sweden at 5 days

            Worst in class: Austria at 42 days

            United Kingdom: 20 days

·      TIP 5

            Think laterally

·      TIP 6

            Go public with your request

            A request is a story. Campaign for an answer.

·      TIP 7

            Be prepared for the answer

            Have experts on standby to help you analyse the data on receipt.

·      TIP 8

            Anticipate exceptions

           Send separate requests. Don't be too obvious in what you are after.

           Cross-referencing information can fill in blanks.

·      TIP 9

            Appeal, Appeal, Appeal

            Know the deadlines. Ask for an expert. Cultivate pro bono lawyers.

·      TIP 10

            A refusal is a story to publish

·      BONUS TIP

            It's your right: use it or lose it!

Karen Andrews runs Anglicity Ltd. She is an entrepreneurial French to English translator, editor, content writer and marketing consultant. Contact karen@anglicity.com for further information on Anglicity's services.

 

Guardian Masterclass on Investigative Journalism

Wikileaks, CIA secret flights, Qatar World Cup, Prince Charles's "black spider" memos, social housing scandals, chicken and horsemeat scandals, Serco, HSBC... The list reads like a summary of some of the best investigative journalism of recent years. Attendees at July's Guardian Masterclass were treated to inspiring guidance from the reporters behind these prominent news stories.

The four experts sharing their experiences of investigative reporting were none other than:

David Leigh, Investigations Executive Editor, The Guardian & City University

Felicity Lawrence, Special Correspondent & Investigative Reporter, The Guardian

RobertBooth, Senior Reporter, The Guardian

HelenDarbishire, Executive Director, Access Info Europe

The audience was a mixture of aspiring and working journalists - as well the curious from a variety of backgrounds.

Basic reporting skills

Robert Booth began the day with a presentation on the basics. He described how various sources built the Prince Charles stories. An initial investigation can turn into a much bigger story - e.g. a migrant worker abuse story moved ever closer to the Qatar World Cup organising committee. Relatively little of weeks or months of work finds its way into the eventual story.

" Investigative journalism can be arduous,

but it creates some of the best reports"

Dogged determination

Felicity Lawrence's investigations have largely focused on food production. She described the dogged determination required to pursue a story against the politics of food, big brands, powerful lawyers and transnational companies. The latter can be more powerful than a State in the modern world.

Felicity described how to work with confidential sources and whistle-blowers. She stressed the importance of going to the companies concerned and asking questions in an appropriate manner. She prefers to make an initial contact by phone and then follow up with her questions in an email.  Felicity described her approach as working within her personality, i.e. not aggressive.

Legal threats

If the company decides to employ a top legal firm to warn you off the story, you know you are "on to something". Twelve-page legal letter? Time for high-fives.

Personal safety

Both Felicity and Robert emphasised the importance of having colleagues to share difficulties with. In Felicity's case, working with a team provided some protection when the story revealed organised crime.

"Great merit in being a middle-aged woman with grey hair.

When you walk in, no-one sees you"

Felicity stressed the strength of video in modern journalism and the role of undercover filming in the chicken news stories. The downside is that there is no room for nuance, subtleties or the denials required legally. Some people clam up on video. Others even find being confronted by a notebook intimidating. A combination of reporting methods is the ideal mix.

After Felicity's tales of dirty chicken, it was a relief to discover that the Guardian canteen had a fish and vegetarian menu. The canteen has a great view of the somewhat aptly named Battlebridge Basin.

Guardian Canteen overlooks the canal and Battlebridge Basin

Freedom of Information

After lunch, Helen Darbishire gave a presentation entitled Your Right to Know: Legal Leaks. She is based in Spain, the country with the most recent Freedom of Information Act of 10 December 2014. From her historical presentation, it rather seemed that the UK is endeavouring to buck the trend for greater access.

Helen provided a wealth of information that could form its own entirely separate blog. She stressed how Freedom of Expression includes the Right of Access to Information. Her ten tips on how to request information and success stories should encourage all attendees to launch their own FOI requests in future. As she said in her final tip:

It’s your right: 
use it or lose it!

"The Enemies"

David Leigh's presentation Enemies of Investigative Journalism was the highlight at the end of a fascinating day. He described how 50% of the energy in any news story has to go into getting the story out and published.

Who are these alleged enemies? 

1. The journalists' own bosses who may not want to "tweak the cat's tail at this difficult time".

2. A subset of the intelligence services - especially if the story touches on their own activities as in the case of Snowden.

3. The Law - there are all sorts of legal hurdles. Top lawyers are paid to intimidate investigative journalists on behalf of high profile individuals. (There is no such protection for ordinary people). 

David carefully and dramatically uncovered these alleged enemies using the wording of the legal firms' own websites.

Libel

Libel law has journalists treading on eggshells. A libel case can cripple an NGO. A case is expensive whether you win or lose. An apology can be exacted for a trivial mistake, even if there is substantial evidence that a company has been "up to no good".

UK legal fees

A University of Oxford academic study compared legal fees for defamation proceedings across Europe. Fees in the UK under a conditional fee agreement are 140 times more costly than the average cost of the other countries (Source: International Bar Association). David explained The Reynolds Defence. The new UK Defamation Act of 2014 has reduced libel tourism.

The traditional newspaper business model is difficult to fund in the internet age. People want to save investigative journalism for the Nation. A story rarely ends well for a whistle-blower. Massive data leaks cannot be prevented. They will happen over and over again in the future.

Cross-border collaboration brings success today in investigative journalism.

"Rich and victorious time for investigative journalism"

I came away from the Guardian Masterclass inspired and full of admiration for the reporters who pursue news stories so doggedly. Investigative journalism and freedom of information make a difference in our world. The small organisation and "the little guy" stand a much better chance of being heard thanks to professional investigative reporters.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant. 

Contact karen@anglicity.com 
for further information 
on Anglicity's services.

London's Solidarity with Paris

London's Tower Bridge lit up in red, white and blue

On Sunday 11th January 2015, London showed its solidarity with Paris following a traumatic week there. The history of our two great nations has been closely tied for centuries - both in peace and in times of war. Today, our two capitals are peaceful trading partners within the European Union. A large French population lives and works in London. Many French residents congregated in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Their numbers were not as high as those who marched in Paris on the same day. They still held up the same French banners for freedom of expression.

"I am Charlie" and "Ink must flow, not blood" banners

A number of other nationalities were also present in solidarity. On the pavement in front of the National Gallery, there were chalk flags from numerous other nations, alongside the French flag and Union Jack. The atmosphere was friendly and many age groups were represented. The Metropolitan Police even assisted in taking photographs.

A great cheer went up just after 4pm. Lights projected the French tricolour onto the front of the National Gallery. The crowd broke into the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. The square's fountains spurted alternately in red, white and blue lighting.

London's famous Tower Bridge was also lit up in solidarity with the French. The colours alternated between red, white and blue from 4pm to 5.30pm. Then the lights went out, leaving the iconic bridge in darkness.

I travelled from Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill to "Little France" in South Kensington. I saw the French flag projected onto the National Gallery. My day ended by seeing an English film about the National Gallery projected at the French Institute's Ciné Lumière. The culture of two nations intertwined.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant.
She has a keen interest
in the French language
and French culture.



Contact: karen@anglicity.com for further information on Anglicity's services.